Dustman's Cairn
by reikat
Summary: Eriah is asked by Skjor to explore Dustman's Cairn as part of her Trial to join the Companions. She is joined by Farkas and learns more about the Circle than she bargained for.


Eriah Quintence strode into Jorrvaskr after arriving in Whiterun. Her trip to the Throat of the World had more or less helped her deal with the soul of her fellow Dragonborn and enemy, Miraak. She was still angry that he marked her in the soul-plane but felt a bit better that it wasn't the way it seemed. Her clothes and Blades armor kept the brand mostly hidden. As long as people didn't take notice, she could live with it. Skjor met her halfway. "There you are. I take it your important business at High Hrothgar was a success?" he asked, slightly condescending. Eriah gave him a minor scowl. Skjor and Vilkas seemed to share the same low opinion of her but Vilkas wasn't as bad. Still, it kind of said something when the only members of the Companions that seemed to like her off the bat was his twin brother, Farkas, and the Harbinger, Kodlak Whitemane. "It was. Be thankful I took care of the issue. Otherwise it would've been distracting." she said, coolly. She could almost hear Miraak laugh but he was silent, a sign he was truly asleep within her. Skjor just shrugged. "In any case, there is one more task needed before you come a full-fledged member of the Companions. A scholar has reported that a fragment of Wuuthrad has been located in Dustman's Cairn. He seemed a fool to me but, if he's right, the honor of the Companions demands we seek it out." Skjor explained.

Dustman's Cairn was a barrow that was located to the northwest of Whiterun near Morthal, Eriah knew. Poring over maps of the hold had told her much of her adopted home. "And this has what to do with me?" she asked. "This is a simple errand, but the time is right for it to be your Trial. Carry yourself with honor and you'll become a true Companion. Farkas will be your Shield-Sibling on this venture, whelp. He'll answer any questions you have. Try not to disappoint. Or to get him killed." the older man warned. "Very well. I'll go find him." Eriah said, heading to the back door of Jorrvaskr. She found Farkas sitting on the wall surrounding the city. He liked sitting there when he was thinking about something. Eriah let a small smile grace her lips. Farkas was considered to be stronger than his brother but he was often teased for being slow-minded. She didn't think so. To her, Farkas seemed to be the sort of man who didn't say much if he had nothing to share. He said only what needed to be said. That wasn't a sign of slowness of mind. He looked unapproachable, given his stature and appearance, but Eriah knew better. He was quite friendly to newcomers, including herself. In their own way, the rest of the Companions' attitudes were also refreshing. They knew who she was but they didn't treat her any differently than they did anyone else. Farkas seemed genuinely impressed she was the Dragonborn.

"Greetings, friend." Eriah said, approaching him. "Welcome back. I take it Skjor explained your next task." the man replied, looking over his shoulder before shifting his legs over the wall to her side. "He did. I guess you're supposed to be my Shield-Brother for this venture." Eriah replied as he got off the wall. "So I'm told. Let's see if you impress." he said, his silver eyes looking at her. "I won't let you down. Shall we?" she asked, leading the way. As the two made their way out of town, Eriah started mulling over something odd about the Circle. Every one of them had silver eyes and that was abnormal color for humans, truth be told. There was something...wolfish about them, as well. Her dragon soul was constantly perceiving them all as nuisances, as if it knew something she didn't. When it came to men, beast-men, and the various races of mer, it just stewed quietly as if it perceived them as inferior. The Circle, however, elicited a need to show them who was top predator, almost. It was something she felt when facing dragons, Alduin, and Miraak. She decided to chalk it up to the fact that she was giving her dragon soul too much credit. She felt Farkas tap her on the head. "You awake in there?" he asked. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something. It's not important." she said.

The two traveled in silence again for the next few hours, reaching the barrow by evening. "We're here." Farkas said. "Let's get this over with. You may laugh if you want but I hate fighting draugr and the Cairn is likely crawling with them." she said. Her shield-brother laughed before clapping a hand on her shoulder. "You can fight dragons and steal their souls but you're afraid of draugr?" he asked. "Laugh it up, moron. There's a big difference between dragons and the undead. The undead gives me the creeps." Eriah said, giving him a slight punch in the ribs before pulling the Masque of Clavicus Vile onto her head. Pulling her warhammer from her back, the Dragonborn led the way into the tomb. "By the way, Farkas..." she paused before they went further in. "Yeah?" he asked. "It's actually nice having someone to watch my back this time. Most of the quests and adventures I've had in the past...I was usually by myself. So, thanks, even if this is part of your job." she said. "Anytime." the man said.

When they entered the first chamber, the two noticed something was off. "Someone's been digging lately. And recently. Tread lightly." Farkas said. "Who in their right mind would want to risk waking the draugr by digging here?" Eriah asked. "No idea but we best keep our guard up. No telling if we're alone here." the Companion said. The Dragonborn nodded in agreement and the two started to comb the place. They ran into some draugr which they took care of and for her credit, Eriah didn't run. She had dealt with the draugr long enough to where they didn't surprise her anymore but she still hated dealing with them. Farkas was proving to be a godsend because he watched her back and kept her focused. The two reached another chamber. The way forward was blocked by an iron gate and there was a lever in a small alcove nearby. "I'll go pull the lever. The sooner we're out of this place, the better." Eriah said, hooking her warhammer to her back, pulling the Masque off, and heading into the alcove. Farkas noticed the iron gate in the alcove entrance. "Eriah, wait!" he shouted. It was too late. Eriah pulled the lever and she was trapped in the alcove while the other iron gate was raised. She saw her predicament and tried to throw the lever back. It was stuck. Eriah went up to the gate and shook it. It didn't budge.

"Sorry, Farkas." she said as he came over. He sighed, rather exasperatedly. "Now look what you've gotten yourself into. No worries. Just sit tight. I'll find the release." he said. He reached through the bars to set a hand on her head in an assuring way. Eriah just sighed but it was short-lived as they heard footsteps approaching. A group of men and women swarmed into the chamber as Farkas drew his sword. "It's time to die, dog!" one said. "We knew you'd be coming here. Big mistake, Companion." another said. "Which one is that?" a third asked. "Doesn't matter. He wears that armor, he dies." the first one said. "Farkas!" Eriah cried, rattling the gate hard. She could easily Shout it off but if she did that, Farkas could get hurt by either it, the Shout, or both. She could do nothing to help her friend. "Killing you will make for an excellent story." a woman said. The group caused Farkas to back up to the gate separating him and Eriah. The Dragonborn could tell he was worried, not about himself, but about her safety. The idea caused her face to feel oddly warm. This wasn't the first time she had been held against her will but she usually was able to get herself out of those situations. Eriah wasn't the type of woman who needed a man to save her but this was one of those rare times where she had no choice. His concern for her safety was rather touching.

"None of you will be alive to tell it." Farkas said. He sounded...very confident and it wasn't normal confidence either. Whoever this bunch was, Farkas knew them well. "What are you doing!?" Eriah protested as he dropped his sword. Farkas didn't reply and he suddenly hunched over. The Dragonborn watched in equal amounts surprise and horror as fur started sprouting everywhere on her shield-brother's body. His limbs started to elongate, joints popping, face lengthening, and a pair of ears appeared on his head. Eriah couldn't believe what she was seeing. The transformation complete, the werewolf gave a howl that made her cringe in fear. She could only watch as the monster tore the group apart. When it was over, the werewolf looked at her through the gates. Frozen in place, Eriah watched as he came closer. He reached in through the bars, which caused the young woman to jump. She shut her eyes tight, knowing that even with the gate separating her from the monster, he could still tear her apart because she was in his range. She couldn't move even though she desperately wanted to. In spite everything she had ever faced, she felt powerless against a werewolf, a monster she never thought existed.

Her eyes jolted open when she felt a gentle caress and she looked up. The werewolf was lightly brushing her hair as if telling her to not be afraid. "F-Farkas? Is that you?" she whispered. The werewolf's ears perked at her voice and he gave a low growl that sounded almost apologetic. The beast turned and headed for the gate the lever had opened. Eriah moved to her own cell door, wondering if he was leaving her behind. A click was heard and the gate suddenly lifted up. The Dragonborn felt panic take hold, wondering if the werewolf was going to come back and tear her apart. Her fear was short lived as Farkas returned, fully human. "I hope I didn't scare you." he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Eriah just gawked at him, not knowing whether to be relieved or pissed off. She just settled for falling to her knees and back onto the ground. "What was that?" she asked. "It's a blessing given to some of us. We can be like wild beasts. Fearsome." he replied. "You're...you're going to make me a werewolf?" she asked, dreading the answer. Legend went that Hircine, Daedric Prince of the Hunt, had invented lycanthropy and those of the beast blood would go to his Hunting Grounds instead of Sovngarde after death. Eriah was rattled by the knowledge that a man she considered a good friend was one of those monsters.

"Oh no. Only the Circle have the beast blood. Prove your honor to be a Companion. 'Eyes on the prey, not the horizon'." he said. Eriah just shook her head, trying to take in what she had witnessed. "I need a moment." she said. Farkas graciously allowed her that. "So...Vilkas, Aela, and Skjor? They're werewolves, too?" she asked. "Yes. Same goes for old man Kodlak. He, Vilkas, and I...we don't like transforming if we can avoid it. Aela and Skjor embrace it. Trust me, Eriah. If there was any other way I could've saved you without resorting to giving into my beast blood, I would have. As it were, I was outnumbered and outmatched." he explained. Eriah just looked at the dead bodies lying around. "Who were they?" she asked. "They're members of a werewolf-hunting clan called the Silver Hand. They seek to rid Skyrim of were-beasts and they've been after the Circle for years. I don't know why they were here but this bunch probably weren't the only ones here. So, we have to worry about them as well as more draugr." Farkas replied. He stood at his full height and held his hand out. Eriah looked from it to his face. "I know this wasn't the best time for you to learn the truth about me, Eriah, but I need to know if you still trust me to guard your back." he said.

Eriah took a moment to think. While still flabbergasted that her close friend was a werewolf, she recalled that he had gently brushed her hair with his claws as if to reassure her. If that wasn't a sign that he knew her when he was transformed, she didn't know what was. She took a deep breath before reaching out and grabbing his wrist. His large hand closed over hers and he smiled, pulling her to her feet. "I trust you." she said. "Good. Let's keep moving." Farkas said, handing her the Masque. Eriah sighed as she pulled it over her head and took the lead. That's when Farkas saw the brand on her neck. Curiosity laced through him but he decided to save it for later. The Silver Hand's presence meant that trouble wasn't far ahead and he had to watch Eriah's back, especially after giving her the shock of her life. Deep down, he was glad and relieved that she still trusted him despite him being a werewolf. She was a remarkable woman.

The shield-siblings continued through the cairn. As Farkas predicted, there were more Silver Hand thugs that they had to contend with on top of the draugr. They finally reached the main chamber. Eriah was pleased when she saw there was a Word Wall. The two approached the table where a small pedestal was and there was a shard of Wuuthrad, just as the scholar said. "Before we take the fragment, let me grab this word." she said, approaching the Word Wall. Farkas watched as she stood before it and her body relaxed. Mystical energy swirled around her and she sighed as she took the word into herself. She turned to him with a smile before reaching out to take the ax fragment. "Well done. Let's get out of here." Farkas said. Eriah nodded but before they could make their way to the backdoor, the coffins in the room fell open and they were beset by draugr. Eriah growled and used Unrelenting Force to give them some time to prepare themselves. When the draugr picked themselves up, the shield-siblings were prepared. They tore through the undead with Eriah paying Farkas back for getting her out of the cage at the start of the cairn. When the fight was over, both were heaving from the effort.

"Curse the ancient Nords for building these ridiculous tombs and interring those cursed with undeath in them." Eriah spat, removing the Masque of Clavicus Vile. She ran her arm over her forehead to clear it of sweat. "You really don't like tomb-crawling, do you?" Farkas asked. "Not at all." the Dragonborn sniped. "Well, it's all over now. Let's make tracks." he said. Eriah nodded and led the way. They followed a winding path that ended with a secret door that led them to the entrance of the cairn. When they emerged into the open air, the sun had long set. "Are you fine with sleeping here tonight or do you want to make the trek back to Whiterun?" Farkas asked. Eriah looked up at him. "I didn't think I had a choice." she said. "After dealing with the Silver Hand and the draugr, you must be tired." he said, simply. Eriah felt tired. She honestly didn't want to walk all the way back to Whiterun in the dark, even though both moons were full. "Let's camp out here and make our way home in the morning." she said. "Good call. You get some shut-eye and I'll take first watch." he said. Eriah went to the stairs and sat under them. "Hey, Farkas?" she asked as he started up to keep watch. They locked eyes. "Do you...sleep well at night? Being what you are?" she asked. Her shield-brother just chuckled before coming around to kneel down in front of her. She could see his silver eyes glowing.

"Those with the beast blood are cursed to restless nights. So no, I don't sleep very well. Don't worry about me, though, Eriah. I've lived with this for a number of years already. I'm still not used to it but I make do. Get some sleep. I'll wake you when it's your turn." he said. He reached out and ruffled her hair before standing to his full height and heading up the steps. Eriah's hand was on her head as she watched him. She felt as if their connection had gotten a bit stronger and she felt more at ease with the fact he was a werewolf. He called it a blessing but she could tell he felt it was the opposite. She had told the truth when she said she trusted him. Her hand sliding down to cover the brand Miraak had left, the Dragonborn sighed before setting the Masque aside and lying down, her back to the wall. Her brown eyes slid shut and she found herself drifting off to sleep. It would be nice to sleep without hearing the First whispering in her ear.


End file.
